Boku no Hero Academia: What if?
by AriaCaelan
Summary: Her name is Izumi Midoriya, and this story is about her and her seemingly impossible dream: becoming a hero. While being bullied by her childhood friend and scorned for being quirkless, Izumi finds hope in her idol, All Might, who will teach her what it takes to be a hero. The plot follows her struggles and hardships in U.A. all the way through the first season.
1. Izumi Midoriya: Origin

All men are not created equal.

Midoriya Izumi knew this all too well, and first came to realize it at the tender age of four.

That day, the small girl had stood between a crying boy she didn't know and her former best friend and future bully, Katsuki Bakugo.

The sun had shone brightly in the sky, a gentle breeze ruffling her green, curly hair.

The park had been empty, it was a peaceful day.

Or at least, it would have been, were it not for the three bullies standing right in front of her.

"Kaachan, stop!" The little girl cried out, her knees trembling as her eyes brimmed with tears. Behind her, the boy remained in the ground, watching fearfully as the scene unfolded. "Can't you see he's crying? If you continue... I-I won't forgive you!"

She tried to ignore the snickers coming from the other two boys, the ones that always followed Kaachan and had replaced her as his best friends.

Instead, she focused on those piercing red eyes staring at her with both anger and disbelief.

"You think you can stand up to me?!" The blonde boy shouted, unfazed by the tears that had started falling down the girl's cheeks. "What can you do, anyways? You're just a quirkless crybaby! A Deku!"

Just as he said that, the boy punched the palm of his left hand, a small explosion causing the little girl to flinch.  
Katsuki Bakugo smirked at that, but that same smirk quickly melted down into a sneer when the girl made no move to run.

_Stupid Deku. Even now, when she is so scared her knees tremble...She still tries to play hero!_

The blonde boy scoffed, advancing to the unmoving small girl with furrowed brows and a feeling of rage building up in his gut. How dare she? How dare this pathetic quirkless girl underestimate him like this?

"Then I'll just have to teach you a lesson!" He stated angrily, a twisted smile drawn on his young face.

A few minutes later, a bruised and battered Izumi laid in the ground with her arms outstretched, one of her pigtails having come undone while fighting.  
During what felt like hours Izumi stared blankly at the sky with half-lidded emerald eyes, now dry after having cried in frustration during the whole beating.  
Now she knew:

She knew she wasn't like them.

She knew she was weak.

_Quirkless_.

But she had helped that boy, even if he had escaped without a single 'thank you' the moment they grabbed her.

That day she was taught a tough lesson. And yet, that day, she had also acted as the hero she wanted to become.

Ten years later, Izumi Midoriya would be reminded this lesson and the story would repeat itself.  
However, fortunately for Izumi, this time would bring much more positive consequences.

And that is exactly how this story begins:

In a classroom of Aldera Junior High, with a teacher lecturing his students about their possible future careers. Amongst those students was the hot-headed blonde Katsuki Bakugo, and behind him and listening intently was our shy protagonist, Izumi Midoriya.

Her green hair was longer, but just as unruly as always and kept in a high and messy ponytail. She was a petite and slender girl, the shortest in her entire class. Coincidentally, Izumi was also the only quirkless kid in the entire school, a fact she was constantly reminded.

But as much as she had physically changed, Izumi Midoriya hadn't given up on her lifelong dream and ambition: becoming a Hero.

"I will now hand out some pamphlets so that you can decide which career you would like to choose..." The teacher abruptly paused, staring boringly at the pieces of paper on his hand. He snorted. "Bah, what am I saying?" The teacher proceeded to throw the papers unceremoniously across the classroom. "You all want to go for the hero-course anyways, am I right?"

At this, the students started cheering excitedly, making use of their quirks.  
Unable to do as her peers, Izumi timidly raised her hand, wearing a small awkward smile.

"Okay, I know you're all very excited" The teacher gave a small laugh, attempting to calm down the class. "but remember you're not allowed to use your quirks during class"

Finally, that seemed to do the trick. As objects stoped floating, elongated body parts were retracted and the explosions ceased, Izumi sighed with relief.

"Well, I'm sure with your quirks at least some of you should be able to become heroes" the teacher said distractedly, reading through their documentation.

In the same row of desks as Izumi, someone scoffed.

"Tch"

_There it comes_, Izumi inwardly rolled her eyes.

As Bakugo slammed his hands on his desk, getting the attention of everyone in the class, Izumi couldn't help but flinch.

"Don't lump me in with those extras, sensei!" Bakugo said arrogantly. "I'm the only one out of this class of failures who will become a hero!"

This bold statement was followed by the protests of the rest of the class and a loud 'SHUT UP EXTRAS!" from the blonde boy.

"Ah, Katsuki Bakugo" the teacher flipped through the application notes "You want to go to U.A., correct?"

"Yeah, right" someone said.

"No way" another one adds.

Bakugo merely smirked, sitting back and planting his feet on the desk confidently. "I already aced the mock test, losers!"

What followed was both a combination of protests, students loudly expressing their disbelief and (for those who knew about his quirk as well as Izumi) silence.

_What? He is also going for U.A.?_ Izumi fearfully thought. _Oh, god. If he finds out I also applied..._

And just then, as if having read her mind, the teacher nonchalantly said: "Didn't you also apply for U.A., Midoriya?"

All at once, the students fell into a stunned silence, most of them turning on their sits to look at the girl. Izumi gulped, feeling herself shrink at the scrutinizing gazes.

The teacher only had the time to sit back into his chair to organize the papers before the entire class erupted in laughter.

"As if you could get in!"

"Yeah, you can't just enter by studying"

Izumi jumped from her chair at that. Blushing at her own actions, she argued: "Q-Quirks aren't a requirement anymore. There's just no precedent..."

But her words were cut short when an explosion sent her desk flying, making her cringe at the crack in the wall.

_It's a good thing I got up_, she shortly thought.

Then she looked back at her offender, knowing fully well who set that potentially dangerous explosion against her. However, that didn't stop her from paling.

"Damn nerd!" Bakugo yelled at her face. "You really thought a Deku like you could get into U.A.? Think you can compete with me? Don't make me laugh!"

However, no one was laughing, not even the other students. They looked at them with mild interest and apprehension, already used at seeing Izumi publicly bullied. A few sent sympathetic or pitying glances at her, but no one came to help. Not even the teacher, who was staring intently at the paper in his hands, deliberately ignoring the entire situation.

"I d-don't want to compete with you" Izumi timidly took a step back from her irascible childhood friend. "I-I just... it's being my dream since I w-was little and..."

Bakugo sneered at her, stopping her rant almost immediately. "That's bullshit! You think being a hero is a game, is that it?"

Izumi shook her head. "N-No, of course not" she softly replied. The girl looked at the floor, trying to avoid looking into the boy's red, merciless eyes. "But, w-well... I won't know until I try, right?"

That earned her a snort from the taller boy. Still, she looked down, not liking how Kaachan towered over her smaller form.

"Unless you try?" He asked, the corner of his mouth twitching with suppressed rage. "That's probably the fucking dumbest think you've ever said"

"Harsh" she heard someone mutter.

Finally snapping out of his self-induced trance, the teacher reacted. "Bakugo, could you please sit down?" He politely asked.

"Tch" Bakugo replied.

After that, Izumi retrieved her desk and everyone acted as if nothing had happened, chattering about their possibilities of entering a hero academy enthusiastically.  
For Izumi the rest of the class was spent trying to contain her own tears.

Several hours later, at the end of the school day, Izumi could be found writing on her notebook over her slightly charred desk, humming happily after finding out about some hero incident on her phone.  
Supposedly, that same morning a new hero had debuted. And, of course, being the hero fangirl she was, Izumi felt it was her sacred duty to take notes about said hero.

Izumi was so engrossed on the information available about Mt. Lady and her quirk (Gigantification), that she didn't notice the three boys making their way to her desk.

"What the hell is this?"

Her notebook was quickly pulled away from her by Bakugo, and it was in that moment that she realized her predicament.

The class was empty, Bakugo had her notebook and the other two bullies (the one with the wings and the other that could stretch his fingers) were blocking her way out.

A deep feeling of dread settled in her stomach.

"H-Hey, please, that's..."

"Hero Analysis for the future?" The blonde boy laughed. "What future?"

At the joke, Izumi clenched her fists.

The two lackeys simply stayed silent, not quite sure if they should say anything at all.

After all, they didn't want to risk getting blown up by an explosion.

As strange as this may sound —taking into consideration Bakugo's obvious hatred towards the girl— it was made common knowledge in the class that (apparently) only _he_ had the right to bully Midoriya.  
The last time the boy with the flexible fingers had tried to touch her...

Let's just say that his fingers hadn't been as stretchy ever since then.

This behavior, as well as other aspects of his personality, only added to the strange puzzle that Katsuki Bakugo was. Not that anyone dared mention it.

"Kaachan, give me back my notebook, p-please" she attempted to grab it, only for Bakugo to pull it over his head with a cruel grin, knowing she was way too short to reach it.

Izumi sighed in defeat. "I worked really hard on that notebook, Kaachan" she muttered.

That prompted an idea to form in Bakugo's mind. And being the impulsive jerk he was, he executed it immediately.  
Placing the notebook between his hands, the blonde boy caused a mild explosion.

_That'll teach her! This'll put Deku in her place!_

And if that weren't enough, he threw it out of the window, where he knew there was a fountain awaiting to finish destroying the stupid notebook.

"No!" she shouted.

Bakugo only grinned.

The rest of the conversation was still blurry in Izumi's distraught mind. Partially because her eyes had been filled with tears she had tried to contain, but also because she couldn't quite believe what Kaachan had just told her.

However, as much as she tried to forget those words, they still seemed to find a way to resonate back into her ears.

_"Oh, you still want to become a hero so badly?"_ The blonde boy had yelled at her, his eyes cold and unforgiving. _"Then pray you get a quirk in your next live and take a swan dive off the roof!"_

His jaw set, he had left her standing there, almost as if she were in a trance... or a horrible dream. Not a 'sorry' or a 'that's not what I meant' was formulated.

Kaachan really did hate her.

So much, that he wanted her to _kill_ herself.

"Idiot" she muttered out loud, frowning.

_He said it as if he didn't care at all! What if I did as he told me? Then he would have instigated a suicide!_

At the thought, her eyes watered.

_He's right though,_ she thought sadly, cradling her damp notebook close to her body as she entered a tunnel on her way home. _I am useless and quirkless... but that won't stop me!_

Her thoughts drifted to another time, when life was easier and they were still friends.

She remembered a younger version of Katsuki Bakugo.

In her memories he was smiling at her, his red eyes warm and full of a strange emotion she couldn't quite describe... perhaps admiration? In any case, he was listening to Izumi rant about heroes, coming to the same conclusion as her:

They both had the same dream and the same idol: All Might and being like him.

All Might.

The same man that saved people with a fearless smile, the Number One Hero, with no doubt the greatest person there was!

That's how Izumi wanted to be: fearless, being able to smile while saving people. Kaachan didn't want that, though. He wanted power, the opportunity to prove himself above others. Even her.

Then a doctor told her she was part of the 20% of the population who still didn't have quirks. Izumi's mother gave up on her and cried.  
She also cried.  
And while her dream —which should have died when she was diagnosed quirkless— became bitter and purely driven by hope, Kaachan's grew bigger, fueled by his ego.

The green haired girl sighed. "I just want to be a hero..."

She hadn't expected an answer, but then again, what was about to happen wasn't her choice either.

"I can help you with that, little girl"

Before she could begin to formulate a response or even feel startled, Izumi was attacked by what felt like... slime?

_This doesn't feel too threatening,_ she firstly told herself in an attempt to remain calm.

However, just as she had formulated that thought and opened her mouth to scream, her air passageways were immediately obstructed by the slimy villain.

_No!_

Her eyes filled with tears, hands clawing desperately at the villain as she begun to slowly asphyxiate.

"Calm down, it will only hurt for a few seconds" the villain said close to her ear. "No one will suspect a cute little girl like you. Just stay still, you really are my hero..."

Her movements slowed down, arms falling limply at her sides as more of the substance was pushed into her mouth. Izumi's thoughts became foggy as her vision darkened.

_I'm going to die,_ she sadly thought. _Will Kaachan miss me?_

Had she not being at the verge of unconsciousness, Izumi might have actually laughed at her own wishful thinking. _Of course not..._

And then, she spotted a figure at the end of the tunnel.

At first, she wondered if the lack of oxygen might be causing her hallucinations.  
But then the figure yelled, and all her worries disappeared.

"TEXAS SMASH!"

The air pushed against the villain, who cursed loudly as he was swept away from his victim.  
That was the last thing Izumi heard before her world faded into blackness.

Izumi woke up feeling disoriented and confused. She tried recalling what had just happened, and when she remembered, she tried harder. Her peridot eyes opened slightly to look around and figure out how she had been rescued. There was just no way she had just been saved by...

"Are you okay, young girl?"

Izumi might have actually shrieked, were it not for the pain in her throat.  
In front of her, and smiling his classic perfect smile was All Might. The Number One Hero. Her idol.

All coherent thought or correct figure of speech were erased from poor Izumi's mind.

"A-All Might! I-I... y-you, I mean... s-s-slime" the girl cringed at her own stammering.  
Why now of all times!?  
Her idol was right in front of her, giving her a concerned look, and she couldn't even manage to form a simple phrase!

"Do you have a concussion?" He asked worriedly. "Should I take you to the hospital or...?"

"N-No! I'm perfectly f-fine, I swear!" she interrupted him, arms flailing with each word. Then she reached for her notebook. "C-Could you please...?"

All Might gave a hearty laugh, patting her in the head. That gesture alone warmed Izumi's heart. "I already did it!"

The girl checked the autograph, her eyes widening slightly. "Thank you so much!"

The hero nodded with a smile, standing up from his crouched position and pocketing a bottle filled with... the slime villain.  
He then looked at Izumi and helped her up from the floor.  
"Well, if you're okay then I'll..."

"Wait! I-I have a question. Please!" Izumi said, her face reddening.

All Might scratched the back of his neck, giving her an apologetic look and preparing himself for jumping. "I'm sorry, young girl, I really don't have time. It was a pleasure to meet you, though"

And then, just as he jumped into the sky, Izumi did the dumbest thing she had probably done in her entire life.

As she gripped All Mights leg, her eyes squeezed shut and ears ringing from the mere velocity, she wondered: _Did I just...?_  
The answer came in the form of a bewildered yelp.

"What?! You have to let go!" All Might yelled through the wind.

"If I let go now I'll die!" she replied.

Apparently, All Might couldn't argue with that.

He came to an abrupt stop, landing at the rooftop of a building.  
The impact created a few cracks on the cement of the floor. Other than that, Izumi considered herself lucky to be alive.

"That was too reckless, girl!" All Might scolded her.

Izumi stood up and lightly brushed her uniform, not daring to look at All Might's face.

"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, her head lowered. "I just... I wanted to ask you something"

All Might didn't say anything, but he didn't jump away either. Izumi took this as a sign to continue speaking, her stammering almost completely gone from the adrenaline.

"I'm quirkless" she stated as her face reddened, trying to ignore the sharp intake of air from the hero. "B-But I've always wanted to be a hero, like you! Saving people with a smile, bringing hope to anyone who needs it. That's what I've always wanted to be in my entire life, ever since I knew who you were..."

"Kid..."

Izumi didn't notice the smoke coming from the hero's body, nor did she notice how his smile turned into a conflicted frown.

"T-That's why I wanted to ask you" the girl raised her head to meet All Might's cerulean eyes, hope and determination filling her own large emerald eyes. "Can I be a hero too, All Might?"


	2. What it takes to be a hero

The Sludge Villain couldn't have been luckier.

Granted, he had been compressed and sealed into a bottle after he failed to steal that girl's body —by All Might, mind you!— which had been anything but comfortable.

But then, just as he thought everything was lost, he fell from that bastard's pocket.  
The bottle shattered and he was released, able to finally grow into his real shape.

Upon further inspection, he realized he had fallen into an empty alley somewhere near Tatooin Station. Not bad, considering he would have gone directly to prison had the idiot not dropped him. Still, it was a shame there weren't any bodies here for him to steal.

But while he retreated silently down the dark alley, the Sludge Villain had to retract his previous thought as he saw and heard three boys entering the alley: a blonde one, a skinny one and a fat one.

_Junior high students,_ he thought.

"Dude, you went way too far this time" the fat one commented lightly.

"Yeah" the skinny one agreed.

Apparently, the blonde one didn't seem to take this too well. That, or he was always that volatile and easy to anger.

"What did you just say, you fucking extra!?"

_Or both,_ the Sludge Villain concluded with amusement.

That amusement quickly turned into interest when explosions were detonated right from the blonde boy's hands. _A powerful quirk..._

"Well, you did tell her to dive off the roof" the skinny one said, scratching his head at the uncomfortable silence.

The Sludge Villain almost smiled. _Kids this days..._

The blonde boy scoffed.

The fat one, however, had visibly paled. He looked from the skinny one to the blonde one nervously. When he finally spoke, it was in nothing more that a whisper, as if he were afraid someone might hear.

"Y-You don't think she actually did it, right? We would be in so much trouble!" He said.

The blonde one seemed to be slightly put off by this, shifting his weight from leg to leg in an attempt to camouflage his discomfort. "That Deku wouldn't do something so stupid" he argued, his anger suddenly returning. "Besides, it would be her fault, not mine. She'll end up killed if she becomes a hero anyways, so what does it matter?"

The other two boys gave an awkward laugh, clearly not sharing the blonde's point of view.

_Now is the moment,_ the Sludge Villain thought.

With that, he approached the blonde boy, whose back was turned to him.  
His mouth formed a sharp smile as the other two boys cowered in fear.

"B-Bakugo!"

Before the blonde boy had a chance to react, he was already on him.  
At the sight of his body, the other boys ran away from the alley, screaming all the way out of that dark place.

_Too easy._

**Back to Midoriya...**

_"Can I be a hero too, All Might?"_

And that's when she noticed how alarmed All Might looked. And that's when the man exploded into a cloud of smoke, leaving behind what looked like a blood-spitting skeleton. And that's also when she felt her dreams shatter and her hopes disappear.

_"Being a hero means risking your life, so I can't just tell you to follow your dream without a care even though you're quirkless"_ he had said with a hopeless expression in his face. _"Even I, with this powerful quirk managed to get seriously injured five years ago... So no, you cannot become a hero"_

He had then tried to comfort the desolate girl, his words leaving a sour taste in his mouth as Izumi sunk further into depression.

_"You can always become a policewoman or a doctor, if what you want is to help people..." _he trailed away.

And then.

_"I'm sorry"_

The exact same words her mother told her over and over again when she was diagnosed as quirkless.

_"I'm sorry, Izumi! I'm so sorry"_

_I'm sorry too,_ Izumi thought as she made her way back home, her head hanging low. Her eyes were dry, though, she was done crying. She might be quirkless, and she might have been just told she would never be a hero. But she _could_ stop being a crybaby.

She needed to grow up and face reality, was what Izumi thought as she attempted to tame her hair.

Her ponytail was messy to the point that it defied gravity, the green locks pointing at every possible direction, as a result of both being attacked by the Sludge Villain and her flight with All Might.

_Maybe I should cut it,_ she thought as she kicked a stone, suddenly angry at the world. _Kaachan always said he liked it long, though._

Her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of explosions.

"Probably another villain" she mumbled to herself. "I shouldn't go, what would be the point?"

And yet she found herself walking towards the fight, her pace quickening as she spotted the large crowd of civilians surrounding the scene of the crime.

Izumi squeezed herself through the people, praying for her suspicions to be wrong and for it to be another villain.

For some reason, she had a bad feeling about this.

"Everyone, stay back!" she heard Mt. Lady say. "The situation is under control!"

But as Izumi grew closer to the heroes she could tell that the situation was anything but under control. Once she could take a good look at the villain her blood run cold.

_The Sludge Villain..._

"Why aren't the heroes doing anything?" Someone in the crowd asked.

"I heard he took hostage a junior high student" the man next to Izumi responded.

She snapped her head at that, her stomach filling up with dread.

It was her fault! If she hadn't latched at All Might's leg... then the villain would already be on his way to prison!

Her heart pounded with guilt, making it difficult to look at the scene.

_The heroes. They'll figure out a way to stop him, they have to!  
But if they don't... Oh, god..._

Her eyes squeezed shut, fists clenched.

_I'm so sorry._

"Where's All Might?" A woman asked worriedly. "I thought I saw him a while ago"

_He can't help them_, Izumi thought, knees trembling.

Izumi looked desperately at where Kamui Woods was trying to get closer to the villain, eyes shifting to Backdraft, Death Arms and Mt. Lady, who were simply waiting until someone with a more suitable quirk arrived.

_Someone! They have to..._

And then her eyes met the red ones of the victim and her heart stopped.

"Kaachan" she whispered under her breath, mind going blank.

The Sludge Villain had his body almost completely surrounded, his mouth and nose covered by the grey slime. Kaachan kept squirming and trying to claw at the substance, but it was clear in the way he looked at her that he knew it was no use. His eyes screamed for help in a way they never had.

He was suffocating.

He was going to _die_.

And no one, not even the four heroes a few meters away from him, were doing anything.

_How can they just... Can't they see he's dying!_

Izumi remembered when she had been in the exact same situation, feeling helpless and desperate at being unable to breath. Trying to move but knowing there was nothing she could do. Fading away slowly...

Before she knew what she was doing, Izumi had already started running.

"Hey! Come back, kid!" She heard Mt. Lady scream in the background. "It's dangerous!"

"Get away from the villain!"

Izumi ignored them all, running faster towards the Sludge Villain. Doing whatever she could to gain Kaachan some time.

His eyes widened at her movements, frowning at her recklessness... or foolishness. He probably would have yelled some colorful insults at her, had he been able to.

"You're that girl from before!" The Sludge Villain laughed, raising Kaachan's hand against his will. "Then... DIE!"

Explosions cracked the asphalt, Izumi barely capable of dodging each one of them skillfully, used to doing so after years of being Kaachan's punching bag.  
But for a moment, she hesitated, and that was all it took.  
One of them exploded too close to her, slightly burning her uniform and left arm.

At this, Kaachan seemed to struggle harder, throwing off the villains aim, his red eyes narrowed and glinting with anger.

Izumi simply sucked in a sharp breath, the pain barely registering over the adrenaline.  
She took off her school backpack, throwing it right at the villains eyes, the contents spilling over his semisolid body.

"YOU BITCH!" The Sludge Villain bellowed.

But Izumi didn't hear him, ears pounding with each fast heart beat.

_I actually did that._

Green teary eyes met angry red ones, her pale hands quickly pulling at the Sludge over Kaachan's mouth.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, DEKU?!" The blonde boy yelled at her, his voice cracking slightly at the end. He stared at her both reproachfully and furiously, still shocked from almost asphyxiating.

Izumi took Kaachan's arm, pulling harder, trying to get him out of there. Her eyes were burning with unshed tears, vision blurry. Her arm had started to hurt, too, now that the adrenaline faded from her system.

"I-I don't know, my body moved on its own..." She stammered, her doubts returning full force. "...Y-You looked like you needed help"

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP, DAMMIT!" He shouted, pushing her digging hands away from him. _Go away._

However, that didn't stop her. "B-But..."

"YOU FUCKING...!"

"I COULDN'T JUST LET YOU DIE!" Izumi interrupted him, face red with a sudden flash of anger and hurt.

That shut him up.

At the same time, it was at that moment that the Sludge Villain recovered from the previous attack. His bloodshot eyes sent shivers down Izumi's spine.

"I'll kill you!"

The slime crawled up Izumi's burned arm, making her clench her teeth in pain. Kaachan stared intensely into her peridot eyes. If Izumi didn't know better, she could have sworn he looked almost... apologetic. Or fearful.

_Is this how I die?_ She wondered, the tears now freely running down her cheeks.

But then, for the second time that day and wearing his iconic smile, the same person came to her rescue.

"I really am pathetic" she thought she heard him say. "Telling you how heroes risk their life's without even risking my own!"

Izumi blinked.

"DETROIT SMASH!"

Just as the last time, the Sludge Villain was immediately blown away, the two teenagers landing roughly against the floor.  
Upon the impact, Izumi screamed, cradling her left arm against her body.

All Might raised both arms in victory as the crowd cheered.

Next to her, Kaachan had fallen unconscious.

But he was safe.

He was _alive_.

_I'm glad,_ she thought with a small smile.

After that, the police was able to recover the fragments from the Sludge Villain's body —this time using a more resistant recipient— and All Might was bombarded with questions and praised for his heroic actions by reporters and fans alike.

Once Bakugo was awake, he too was congratulated for fighting back against the villain, to which he merely grunted in acknowledgment. After not receiving any kind of verbal response, the heroes gave up and went to scold Izumi, who had already been treated from her burns.

"That was reckless, girl!"

"You could have died!"

Izumi merely nodded and bowed apologetically, deliberately avoiding Bakugo's piercing gaze, which did nothing but anger him even more.

Her words replayed in his head time and time again: _"...Y-You looked like you needed help" "I COULDN'T JUST LET YOU DIE!"_

_Fucking Deku._ Bakugo gritted his teeth. _...Don't look down on me!_

After being praised for something he didn't do and pointedly glaring at the girl, Bakugo decided he'd had enough.

Later that same day, the girl walked home with a bandaged arm and a heavy heart.  
She walked slowly, her long hair getting in her face in a very annoying way.

_I'm definitely cutting it_, she thought bitterly as she pulled a green lock behind her ear.

"Deku!"

The girl twirled around at the familiar voice, sighing shakily at what Kaachan wanted to tell her.

A part of her thought he might actually thank her, she _had_ kinda saved his life... but that idea was immediately shot down by a more realistic part of her brain, specially as she realized how Kaachan was looking at her.

The battered blonde panted as he stopped right in front of her, his hands tightening on his knees.

"What...?" She started.

Bakugo looked up abruptly, his face a sea of emotions, none of which seemed too positive. His scarlet eyes were pure fury... but there was something else, something he was very confused about.

Something he was ignoring in order to keep fueling another emotion.

Anger.

"Shut the fuck up!" He yelled.

Bakugo ignored how the petite girl flinched at those words, focusing on the disgusting twisted feeling in his gut. He also blatantly ignored how the sunset gave her green, curly hair an ethereal orange tint, or how her large emerald eyes blinked up at him expectantly.

But what he couldn't overlook was the torn school uniform, or the bandaged arm covered in burns. Burns caused by _his_ quirk.

He had burned her other times... Then... why did he feel so...?

"I didn't ask for your fucking help, get it?!" He spat out with disdain. "And you didn't save me...All Might did! "

The girl stared silently at him, waiting for him to say what he wanted to say. As if she were older and wiser than him! As if she knew something he didn't!

_Looking down on me again, huh?_

At the thought he glared at her, watching those distraught emerald eyes. "I don't owe you anything! Get it?"

He paused for a second before finally turning around, not liking the blank look she was giving him.

"Stay out of my way... fucking Deku" he muttered as he walked away, angry at the girl. Angry at the heroes who didn't even try to rescue him. Angry at himself.

Izumi just stood there, watching as Kaachan walked away, seething with anger and stomping in a frustrated way.

_He hates me,_ she concluded idly. _But I really don't._

She was glad she had been able to help him, even if he now despised her even more.

Besides, despite how the heroes had scolded her, she knew she had done something good. She had been a hero. Even if only for one day.

That thought brought a smile to her pale face.

As she readjusted the straps of her backpack, Izumi pondered on what she could possibly do after what just happened. She thought back at the options All Might gave her. Perhaps she could become a doctor?

_I guess I'll just have to think of a more realistic future..._

All of a sudden, a flash of red, blue and yellow jumped out of nowhere, making her yelp. "I am here!"

Izumi regained her footing fairly quickly, considering she'd almost fallen right on her but. Her emerald eyes widened, staring at the hero in front of her. "A-All Might, w-what are you doing here?"

The muscular man stood there, posing in an heroic way, his cerulean eyes and blonde hair shining almost as brightly as the sun. When he talked, he did it in a booming, confident voice: "Young girl! I came here to..."

The rest of the sentence was lost in a cloud of smoke as the hero spat out blood, the girl giving a bewildered look at the now skeleton of a man that was left.

Wiping away the blood, All Might smiled awkwardly. "Ruined the moment, didn't I?"

Izumi nodded absently, honestly concerned about her idol's health.

"Well, anyway, as I was saying!" The man continued cheerfully. "I came here to apologize, young girl!"

Izumi tilted her head, confused, her green locks bouncing with the motion. "B-But, I mean... It was my fault! I-If I hadn't tried to follow you t-then nothing would have happened... I-I'm so sorry!" She bowed to him, hands shaking with guilt. "A-And I also asked you a stupid question even thought I'm quirkless... I shouldn't have! Sorry!"

"No..." All Might cut her off, shaking his head lightly. His voice had taken a softer tone, making Izumi raise her head. "...I berated you about not being able to risk your life as a hero. And in the end, out of all those people, only you were willing to risk your life"

Izumi let her hair fall over her emerald, glassy eyes. "I-I wasn't thinking" she whispered under her breath.

"Exactly!" All Might said with a soft smile. "You didn't think, you just sprang into action!"

Izumi curled further into herself, her hand clutching at her injured arm as she tried to contain her tears.

_You promised you wouldn't cry anymore, you idiot!_

"That's something most hero backstories have in common, girl! To jump to save others, even at the risk of your own life... that's what being a hero means." He said, and then added, in a much quieter voice "And I almost forgot that, but you helped me remember it"

"I-I did?" Izumi asked with a choked voice.

"Yes, I would never have pushed myself to the limit if it weren't for you!" He admitted. "You, a timid quirkless girl. It was because of you and only youthat that boy is still alive!"

Izumi felt a familiar knot in her throat, meaning that she was close to becoming a crying mess.  
She tried to contain her tears as best as she could... But she couldn't! She couldn't because her idol, All Might, was thanking _her_ of all people!

"Young girl, you can become a Hero!"

And then her knees gave out and she fell to the floor, sobbing at the words coming from the skinny man in front of her.

Because no one, not even her own mother had ever said those words to her.

_I'm such a crybaby,_ she thought as she happily cried.


	3. Roaring Muscles

Despite of the ten hard months that was her training for U.A.s Entrance Exam, Izumi had yet to completely assimilate just how lucky she had been that fateful day.

Being told by her idol that she could become a hero made her cry out of joy, but it couldn't begin to compare to what she felt when the next words came out of his mouth:

_"I deem you worthy of becoming my successor!"_ He had said with a wide smile, much to her confusion.

"_Huh?_"

After that, a very long explanation about One For All (which was a stockpile quirk that could be passed down as a torch of hope from one person to another) followed by multiple questions about said quirk and All Might successfully convincing her that she was his best choice... she just couldn't find it in herself to refuse.

Not that she would have, in any case.

For a quirkless girl like her that always wanted to be a hero, being offered a quirk was like a gift given by the heavens! In no way would she ever had said 'no' to such an opportunity!

_But... well, _she admitted._ I might have put a little more thought into it._

As well as the negative consequences her choice would entitle.

For starters there was her mother, who had been more than reluctant when she first told her about her new training regimen and diet.

_"Are you sure you should eat so much?"_ She always asked worriedly, handing her a plate that was four times as full as hers. _"I don't think it's healthy for a teenage girl your age to..."_

_"It's fine, mum"_ Izumi always replied. _"I'll burn the calories tomorrow, anyways"_

This scene repeated itself almost every time they ate together.

With the same frequency, her mother demanded time and time again to meet her so-called mentor, much to Izumi's annoyance.

However, and despite how much All Might told her it was necessary to keep his identity a secret, Izumi still felt guilty every time she gave her poor mother an excuse.

Almost ten months later, she was still postponing that encounter.

But, without a doubt, the worst part of her workout routine with All Might was the training itself.

Cleaning the Takoba Bay Beach during both mornings and afternoons by herself was tough, but bearable —even though her muscles always hurt afterwards and the process was slow at best— However, add endurance training, jogging to school whenever she had the chance and sparing sessions to increase her agility, and by the second month she was already beginning to hesitate on her choice.

One day, after having tried to move a fridge and almost collapsed from the fatigue, Izumi asked All Might about the possibility of overworking herself.

_"I'm sorry about that, young Midoriya"_ he had apologized, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. _"I originally didn't plan my workout routine to be so intense. But since you're a girl... and don't take this the wrong way... you never will be able to gain as much muscle mass as any boy would."_ he explained._ "That's why I had to increase the level of difficulty, as well as adding other aspects to your training that will help your body assimilate One For All, such as endurance and agility, rather than just strength"_

Content with that explanation, Izumi had continued with her training without so much as a complaint.

All Might —who now insisted her to call him by his real name, Toshinori Yagi— had been impressed by her perseverance and passion about heroism, talking about how if she kept going like that she would be able to inherit One For All a whole month before U.A.s Entrance Exam.

One week later, after having cleared out the last pieces of trash from the beach, All Might's prediction came to be.

Exhausted and happy about having finished cleaning the beach, Izumi dropped with a content sigh on top of the sand, letting the orange rays of the sunset warm her body as she closed her sparkling, emerald eyes.

"I did it" she whispered.

Perhaps, if her training hadn't been so intense, Izumi might have actually shouted it. But as it was, she could barely move.

That's why, when another person sat right next to her, Izumi made no move to stand up, instead choosing to listen with her eyes closed.

"I have to admit, you exceeded my expectations, Izumi" All Might suddenly praised her, his voice serious. "With how demanding my workout routine was, I honestly thought you would give up sooner or later..."

Izumi blinked her eyes open in surprise, looking sideways at Toshinori, who was staring proudly at something on his phone.

She tiredly incorporated herself from the sand, looking at the screen of the phone curiously.

Her eyes widened at what she saw.

_Is that... me?_

The screen showed the photo of a green haired girl with a pale face and a skinny body, standing rather stiffly in a blue jumpsuit.

She was short and petite, her long hair tied up in a messy ponytail. Her green eyes were dull and she had an awkward smile drawn on her freckled face, no doubt because of the sudden photo.

"This was you nine months ago." Toshinori said, watching with a smile her reaction. Then he passed the photo, gently ruffling Izumi's hair in the process. "And this is you now"

Her mouth fell open, noticing for the first time the great change nine months of training brought on her body.

The photo had been taken a few minutes ago, judging by the state of the beach.

In it, she was carrying an old broken television with ease, her arms toned and tanned from her time spent under the sun.

Still, even after her intense training, Izumi managed to remain as a petite, short girl, with the only difference being the lean muscles that could be seen on both arms and legs and a few more inches in height.

Her freckled face was scrunched up in concentration, but she still could appreciate how the baby fat on her cheeks had disappeared, leaving behind high cheekbones. Her eyes also looked different, almost as if they were brighter, or perhaps just shining with excitement.

Finally, the most noticeable change was in her curly hair, which she had cut five months ago so that it barely brushed her shoulders, claiming that it got in the way when exercising.

Izumi stared at the picture, stunned, disbelief etching on her features. If Izumi didn't know better, she could have sworn she looked almost...

_Pretty_.

Was that really her?

Toshinori laughed at her expression, somehow following her line of thought.

"This is you, and you better believe it!" he exclaimed.

Izumi nodded numbly, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.

_It really is me_, she thought.

"And now, my dear girl, has come the moment!" Toshinori said enthusiastically, standing up abruptly and transforming into his All Might form. "The moment for you to inherit One For All!"

Izumi promptly stood up, almost falling back to the sand in the process, too excited to form any words.

All Might smiled at her, his two blonde locks flapping with the wind as his hand reached to his hair.

Izumi contained her tears, her smile wavering with the effort.

It was finally going to happen! And almost an entire month before the Entrance Exam, too!

All Might finally plucked a single hair, eyes trained on young Izumi. The hero extended the hand with the blonde hair towards the green haired girl, cerulean eyes shining as he said...

"Eat this!"

Izumi blinked, looking from the hair to All Might and then focusing back on the hair.

"What?"

The rest —from the explanation of the strange request, to the horrible feeling of swallowing a strand of long hair— is history.

Two days after having ingested All Might's DNA, on a bright Saturday morning, Izumi Midoriya could be found in the kitchen of the apartment she and her mother shared.

The green haired girl, who had been allowed a blissful day of rest, was currently munching on a protein bar, scrolling through Toshinori's texts as she did so.

_"Your real training begins today, young Midoriya! Be there by six!"_ She read.

Izumi silently groaned.

Her _real_ training? As if what she had been doing for the past nine months wasn't enough!

Suddenly, the poor girl had the urge to smack her head against the kitchen counter against which she was leaning.

Repeatedly.

There was just _no way _that using All Might's quirk could be worst than what she already had to endure in the past.

_Swallowing hair included, _she added with a shudder.

And it was with that last cheerful thought that Izumi checked her phone —it was 5:34 in the morning— left a note so that her mother didn't worry and left for a morning jog to Takoba Bay.

As she made her way to the beach, short hair tied up into a small bun, Izumi couldn't help but wonder what Toshinori had planned for her, specially after it was made clear that this new workout routine would be even harder than the last one.

He had already warned her against using One For All when he wasn't there, claiming that she would risk getting her limbs blown up (which Izumi still thought was just an exaggeration or something meant to scare her).

However, Izumi did as told, fearing that there was at least _some_ truth in All Might's overstatement.

Two days prior, he had even made a comment about contacting someone that could help minimize the damage done during training, which only made her further wonder just how destructive One For All was when uncontrolled.

Picking up her pace into more of a sprint, Izumi sighed.

_Well_, she thought positively, _at least I won't have to find out during the Entrance Exam._

Lost in her own thoughts, Izumi spent the rest of the jog reproducing mental scenarios of the Entrance Exam, all in which she hadn't yet managed to gain some semblance of control over One For All.

As much as she tried, every single one of them found a way of ending in disaster.

So distracted she was, muttering her thoughts and worries out loud, that Izumi didn't notice the person in front of her until she run right into him.

The person, who had his back turned to her, let out a loud yelp, dropping his bag in the process.

"I-I'm so sorry" Izumi timidly apologized, hurrying to pick up the red bag from the floor.

"Fuck you!"

At the familiar voice, Izumi raised her head slightly, only to have the bag roughly snatched out of her outstretched hand.

Izumi then seemed to notice the person's spiky blonde hair, blood red eyes and characteristic glare, which was now focused entirely on her. He was wearing a zip-up dark blue hoodie and some baggy shorts, as well as a pair of what once were 'white' trainers.

"K-Kaachan?" She blinked at him.

_What is he doing here? Was he jogging as well? Perhaps as training for U.A.s Entrance Exam?_

"Oi! What are you doing here, you damn nerd?" Kaachan said, his snarl cutting through her thoughts.

Izumi blushed, realizing she'd probably been staring at him. "I-I was just..."

_I can't tell him I'm training for U.A.s Entrance Exam,_ she rapidly decided.

"...jogging" she finished with an awkward and very suspicious laugh.

Kaachan just scoffed, averting his eyes from her face. _Sure_.

"You better not be training for U.A.s Entrance Exam, Deku" he muttered dangerously.

Izumi shook her head meekly, her green bangs getting in her freckled face with the motion.

Bakugo paused for a moment, staring at the green haired girl in front of him, knowing how uncomfortable that made her and taking pleasure in the fact.

_She has changed,_ was his first thought, surprisingly.

For one thing, there was her green hair, which was much shorter now.

So short, that several locks of curly hair couldn't be tied up in that small bun, an instead brushed against her face in a messy (but somehow nice) way.

Her peridot eyes seemed brighter too. Happier. As if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders ever since the Sludge Incident took place.

Bakugo seriously wondered if that had something to do with the fact that he no longer approached (bullied) her during class.

That thought alone made an uncomfortable feeling arise at the bottom of his stomach, a feeling he immediately squashed and buried deep within his rage.

"I-Is there something wrong, Kaachan?" She asked, sounding sincerely concerned.

_As if you didn't already know, you fucker!_ He bitterly thought.

Before his fucking mind could begin to think about how her body had also changed and matured, Bakugo hurried to walk past the girl, knocking her shoulder as he jogged away from her.

"Fucking Deku" he hissed through clenched teeth, making sure she heard him, least she got the wrong idea.

_Why the fuck did it have to be her?_

Izumi was left standing there, dumbfounded, wondering why Kaachan had suddenly gotten so angry with her.

It was the first time they had any real conversation since the Sludge Incident —if what had just transpired could be referred as such— and Izumi couldn't help but feel disappointed at Kaachan.

She thought that _maybe_, after nine months of peace between them, Kaachan might have finally forgiven her for whatever she had done at some point of their strange relationship...

Izumi suddenly shook her head, clenching her fists.

There was no point dwelling on the past, she had done nothing wrong and didn't deserve Kaachan's ire!

If there was something wrong, it was with him!

Izumi nodded to herself, wishing she could actually believe that. If she could just stop trying to understand him. Trying to be his friend again.

Maybe then, everything would go back to being okay between them.

But even if she didn't give up on her unstable childhood friend, there were still things she had to do.

People that were counting on her!

She wouldn't just give up on her dream, even if Kaachan asked her to!

Struck with a sudden realization, Izumi pulled out her phone from the pocket of her green hoodie, her eyes widening.

"It's already 6:04!" she exclaimed.

Izumi ran all the way left to the beach, any problems and thoughts about Kaachan being forcefully pushed away.

Oblivious and unaware that for the next three hellish weeks, her limbs would be repeatedly broken and healed in the process of mastering One For All.


	4. Start line

_This is it_, Izumi thought as she looked up at U.A.s doors, her green eyes sparkling. _I'm finally here._

After everything she'd gone through... after all those moments during that horrible last month when she thought her limbs were going to blow up for good... after training until she could barely stand up on her own... after feeling the pain of having her arms and legs shatter... after hiding her injuries from a very concerned Inko Midoriya...

_Finally_.

She would finally take U.A.s Entrance Exam, and hopefully, if she passed, she would get to attend to Japan's best hero academy.

_And be All Might's successor!_ She added as an afterthought, her face practically glowing with excitement.

As it was, Izumi couldn't help a small smile to form in her face. But who could blame her? After all, her seemingly impossible dream was finally coming true! Everything she had fought for and endured for the last ten months was over!

"Outta my way, fucking nerd!" yelled a familiar blonde haired boy, bumping Izumi's shoulder as he did so.

Izumi stumbled a bit at the unexpected contact, her moment ruined, nervously exclaiming: "Kaachan!"

"Move" he snarled. "Or I'll kill you!"

Her arms flailed as she took a cautious step back, giving him an awkward smile. "L-Let's do our best, Kaachan!"

He responded with an annoyed grunt and a glare.

_Typical Kaachan,_ Izumi thought with a sigh, watching him walk away. _But I can't let that get to me._

Surprisingly, the blonde boy hadn't done anything to her ever since the Sludge Incident. And for some reason, her classmates hadn't either. Not a single comment or an insult, it was almost as if she didn't exist.

For a long time it was just All Might, training and herself.

It was _so_ lonely...

But that ended here.

Her grip on the straps of her yellow backpack tightened, a determined expression forming in her face as she raised her foot to move forward.

In that exact second, Izumi knew her story as a heroine would begin, leaving behind everything she had previously suffered.

This would be the first step into becoming the number one hero and All Might's successor. In a ways, this moment was her starting point, the day were she was supposed to enter U.A. High and ace the Entrance Exam...

Which was all the more reason _not_ to trip on her own because of her foot getting caught in an irregularity of the pavement.

However, that's just what happened.

As she fell, Izumi had the time to dramatically ask herself. _Is this how my hero career ends?_ (Never mind the fact that it hadn't even actually started)

But then, just as her green eyes squinted shut to bare the inevitable impact, she stopped.

And when I say stop, I mean literally.

"Sorry, I used my quirk on you without asking." Came a gentle female voice from behind Izumi, her body suspended in the air. "I just thought it would be a bad omen if you fell right before taking the exam"

As the person uprighted her, the strange feeling of lightness completely disappearing, Izumi had the chance to turn to look at her savior.

The girl, who was taller than Izumi —not that that was very surprising— had slightly rosy cheeks, large chocolate eyes and short brown hair cut in a uneven way.

Izumi was about to thank profusely the brunette for not letting her fall —and probably ask more about her quirk and if it had anything to do with the pads in her fingers— when she spoke again.

"Well, I think I should get going." The nice girl told her with a smile and a wave of her hand. "Good luck!"

And just like that, the girl left, leaving behind an eager and slightly confused Izumi.

_A girl was nice to me!_ Izumi thought startled, thinking back to the mean girls at Aldera Junior High.

Shaking her head, Izumi had to remember herself where she was, that she wouldn't have to deal with hurtful comments from them anymore.

At U.A. no one knew her, which meant she could just start over and forget everything about Aldera.

She could have a normal high school life, with absolutely _no_ bullying.

That thought brought a wider smile to her face.

She remained with a positive attitude throughout the entire written exam, the answers coming to her mind rapidly and in a fluid way.

_Too easy,_ were her only thoughts as she wrote, certain that she would pass with flying colors.

However, as expected, her good mood didn't last long. Her insecurities and doubts about the practical part returned as she entered the lecture hall, all after she spotted a mass of spiky blonde hair.

"Quit grinning like a damn idiot, Deku!"

And... of course, her seat had been designated right next to _him_.

Turning away from Kaachan's glare, and albeit reluctantly, Izumi sat down as she released a shaky sigh, determined to ignore the blonde boy for the rest of the day.

Next to her, Kaachan fixed his narrowed gaze on her, clicking his tongue in annoyance at her lack of response.

He was about to say something (no doubt insulting) when the lights of the hall suddenly dimmed and a spotlight illuminated the podium, drawing his and everyone's attention towards a tall slender man with crazy hair, a small mustache and who was wearing sunglasses.

"Everyone, say hey!" The man exclaimed loudly at the examinees. Despite his efforts and over enthusiasm, he was only met with a confused silence from the crowd. "A difficult audience, huh?" He joked with a small shrug, his smile still in place. "Then I'll just present you a quick rundown of the practical exam. Are you ready? Yeah!"

Izumi placed her hands on top of her mouth, which was open with amazement. "That's the Voice Hero: Present Mic!" She muttered, suppressing a squeal. "I listen to him every week on the radio! This is so cool! I can't believe he is a teacher here at U.A..."

Kaachan elbowed her hard on the ribs, making her gasp and silencing her rant.

"Shut up" he said gruffly, red eyes focused on the podium.

Izumi rubbed at the spot where he had hit her, pouting slightly at the blonde boy. "S-Sorry, Kaachan!"

"For the practical exam, you listeners will conduct ten minute urban mock battles, as it says in the application requirements!" Present Mic said, making exaggerated motions with his hands. "You are allowed to bring whatever you want with you!" He added. "That said, once this presentation is over, you will all head to your designated battle centers. Yeah!"

Izumi looked down at the exam ticket she was given when she applied for the exam. Examining it, she noticed it contained her personal information, examinee number as well as her battle center.

_I'm in B,_ she thought.

"So they separate examinees coming from the same schools, huh?" commented the blonde boy next to her.

Listening to his observation, Izumi turned to glance at Kaachan's exam ticket. _He's in A..._

"Don't look" he hissed, glaring daggers at her. "I'll kill you!"

Izumi let out a nervous laugh, her hands trembling slightly at the familiar threat. _I'm lucky U.A.s Entrance Exam system is like this..._

"There will be three different kinds of faux villains placed in each one of the battle centers" continued Present Mic. "Your objective throughout the practical exam, will be to obtain as much villain points as you can" he said. "Of course, you can't attack or hinder any of the other examinees, any unheroic action will be penalized!"

Kaachan 'tched' at this, whereas Izumi released a shaky breath. At least she wouldn't have to worry about being attacked by the other examinees.

Two rows behind her, a boy with glasses rose from his seat, raising his hand mechanically.

"I have a question!" He proclaimed with a serious face. "It is stated in this printouts that we will battle against four different kinds of villains! Is this an error? Because if it is, such foolish mistake should be immediately corrected! This is unbefitting for an elite school such as U.A.! In addition to that... you, the one with the curly hair—"

The boy with the glasses pointed an accusing finger right at Izumi, looking sternly at her.

"M-Me?" She practically squeaked.

"—you've been muttering during this whole presentation, it's distracting! Please refrain from doing so!"

Izumi's face turned a bright red, lowering her head at the snickers coming from the crowd. In the end, it was always like this: people laughing at her.

"I'm sorry" she whispered meekly.

Glancing at the flustered girl from the corner of his eye, Bakugo narrowed his eyes, unconsciously turning to glare at the boy with the glasses.

Present Mic remained oblivious to the exchange, his toothy smile widening at being asked a question. "I'm glad you asked!" He stated loudly. "The forth kind of villains are the zero pointers, they will be there to try to distract you and cause as much mayhem as they can! I recommend you all to stay clear from them! Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, thank you" The serious boy nodded, bowing at a perfect ninety degree angle. "Please excuse my impertinence!"

"Okay!" Present Mic gave him a thumbs up. "Now, before you go, let as all say the school motto, said by the hero Napoleon Bonaparte: A hero is one who overcomes life's misfortunes" he paused. "PLUS ULTRA!"

At that, Izumi's eyes sparkled with both eagerness and resoluteness. She clenched her fists.

_That's right_, she thought. _Plus Ultra!_

After the presentation, all examinees were allowed fifteen minutes to prepare their gear or change into more appropriate clothes. Izumi, who had been wearing a skirt, could now be found in a light blue baggy jumpsuit.

Having arrived at the battle center B, the examinees awaited the signal with equal amounts of nervousness and impatience, specially Izumi, who kept bouncing on her feet with anticipation.

As she stared at the giant gate leading to Battle Center B, Izumi thought she saw out in the corner of her eye the brunette from before. _Oh! It's her, the nice girl!_

Remembering with embarrassment how she had frozen when they first met, Izumi started to hesitantly approach the nice girl.

_I should thank her for before,_ she thought.

But then, Izumi felt a hand clamp firmly on her shoulder.

Letting out a startled yelp from the sudden contact, Izumi jumped away from it, her first thoughts being that she was under attack or that Kaachan's Battle Center had somehow been changed.

Turning around, she relaxed, seeing as the person behind her wasn't her childhood friend.

"What were you about to do?" asked a clear, grave voice. "That girl is clearly trying to concentrate! Were you planning to make her fail?"

_It's just the boy with glasses,_ thought Izumi. _He's scary too, though._

"N-No! Of course not!" She stammered as she shook her head, her green curls bouncing in her small ponytail. "I'm sorry! I-I was just..."

The tall boy crossed his muscular arms, shaking his head with disappointment. "Just see that you don't cause any more trouble" he cut her off, striding robotically away from her.

Izumi deflated at the words, sighing dejectedly when people around her started to murmur.

"Isn't that the girl who almost tripped at the school gates?" Someone asked in a mocking tone, making Izumi wince.

"Yeah, the one that got called out for muttering!" Another one added with a laugh.

"Well, that's one less rival to worry about, I guess"

Izumi clenched her fist, watching as red veins started to spread across her skin. _You're wrong about that_, she thought, a small smile forming on her freckled face. _I guess it's time to demonstrate to everyone—_

She snapped her head to look at the giant gate, determined to start running the moment they opened.

A second after that thought crossed her mind, a loud voice cut through the air.

"Ready? OKAY, GO!"

—_that I'm not some useless Deku!_

Her legs, already charged and glowing with One For All, pushed against the cement, cracking it slightly as she jumped into action towards the opened gate.

Behind her, she heard some examinees spluttering and yelling at Present Mic with confusion.

"There are no count downs in real life!" She heard him reply with a laugh.

Izumi continued running, increasing her speed when she found a three pointer. She jumped, feeling the strain in her leg muscles as her foot slammed against the robots head, decapitating it. _That's three points._

Over the last month, much to All Might's surprise and delight, Izumi's small body had started to actually grow used to the power of One For All. To the point to which she could now use over a 5% without breaking her bones.

It had taken a lot of training and concentration —as well as a lot of pain— to turn her bone fractures into much less painful bruises, but as she ran through the Battle Center B, smashing robots and ignoring the pain in her arms and legs, Izumi admitted to herself that it had been worth it.

_With than one I have 33 points._

Izumi thought as she punched a one pointer in the head, sending it toppling to the floor.

"Oh la la!" Shouted a blonde boy with a French accent, who also had been about to steal her points. "Well! I expect to see you at U.A., then. Au revoir!"

Izumi turned around, running without infusing her quirk. She had managed to obtain 33 points by sheer endurance and a high pain tolerance, but she knew they were still not enough to pass.

_I have to get more points!_ She thought desperately, hissing at the purple bruises that had started to form in both arms and legs.

"Three minutes left, listeners!"

She groaned.

_I'm not going to make it! It hurts!_

Just as she thought that, the ground started shaking, the people around her running in the opposite direction she was taking.

Confused, she raised her head to look at the cause of the commotion, her face paling.

"What the hell!" She heard someone yell. "Isn't this a little bit overkill!?"

In Izumi's opinion, that itself was an understatement.

Drawing nearer to them was (without a doubt) the biggest robot out of the four that could be found in the Entrance Exam, the one that was supposed to be _just_ a distraction.

The zero pointer.

_I don't have to actually fight it_, Izumi reminded herself, halting to a stop as she panted.

People kept screaming and running away from the robot, but she just stood there in fright, trying to regain her breath as sweat trickled down her neck.

"God, it's huge!" She gulped as the robot grew closer to her.

Izumi took a step back, her face pale as she readied herself for another painful sprint using One For All.

But just as she was about to start running, just as she was to follow the crowd and get the hell away from the gigantic zero pointer, Izumi saw something that made her turn around.

Right there, just about to get crushed by the zero pointer, was the nice girl from before... buried beneath a block of rubble!

Once more, Izumi didn't even think.

She just _ran_.

"Get away from here!" Yelled the brunette, her hand struggling to reach for the block above her with urgency.

The zero pointer raised its foot, ready to crush the nice girl.

_There's no time,_ Izumi thought, flexing her bruised knees and charging them with One For All. She took in a shaky breath, knowing what to expect from exceeding her current limit. _Oh boy, I really didn't want to have to break any bones during the exam._

However, that didn't stop her.

As her jump propelled her high into the air, the pain barely registering, Izumi thought back to All Might's words.

"Clench your buttocks and yell from the bottom of your heart..." she shouted, her bruised arm pulsing with pain. "SMASH!"

As her fist connected with the zero pointer, it's head crushed by the sheer speed and force of the impact, Izumi thought she heard the nice girl gasp.

The robot fell backwards, pieces of its mechanism spilling and causing damage to nearby buildings, the machine crushing the fake town of Battle Center B.

_I did it!_ The bruised girl thought cheerfully for a split second.

And then, she started falling.

_Oh no, oh no, no no no no no..._ were the only thoughts going through Izumi's mind as she clutched her broken right arm. She didn't think her legs were broken, as they weren't flapping in the wind, but it still felt as though someone had stabbed them with a million daggers from the inside.

Watching the ground get closer and closer, her eyes filled with tears.

_I'll use my other arm_, she thought, biting her lip. _This is going to hurt._

"SMA—!"

_Slap_.

A hand connected with her face, her small body suddenly becoming weightless and stopping just a few inches away from the ground.

Turning her head to her left, Izumi saw the nice girl with a slight green tint to her face, clutching at her stomach as thought she was going to be sick.

"R-Release!" The nice girl choked out, her finger pads connecting with each other as she promptly bent down and threw up on the cracked floor.

Falling harshly into the ground, Izumi gritted her teeth, tears falling down her cheeks as her broken arm was jolted.

Still, the green haired girl pushed against the ground with her good arm, trying to get her legs to move, distress clear in her movements and pale face.

"I-I just need more..." she rasped out, her right arm burning with pain "Not enough points..."

"Times out!" The sirens announcing the end of the exam mocked her.

"N-No!" Izumi exclaimed, punching at the ground with an unconsciously charged fist.

The asphalt cracked under her hand, just as her dreams had been crushed... 33 were a decent amount of points, but certainly not enough to pass.

_After all I still couldn't_... Izumi couldn't finish that sorrowful thought, biting her lip as the pain fully registered. She'd been running high on adrenaline, and now, that too was gone.

Blackness greeted her as an old friend.

Around the green haired girl, a group of examinees gathered, gazing at her with something akin to amazement and incredulity.

"Holly shit! Did you see that?!" Someone exclaimed. "She took it down with one hit!"

"I can't believe such a small girl did that" added another one.

"But she was so jumpy!" Protested one of the examinees. "Why would someone with a powerful strengthening quirk be like that?!"

"Perhaps she was just faking it, so that she could trick us...?"

"That doesn't make any sense!"

Amongst the group of loud examinees, a certain boy with glasses remained quiet. Glancing from the broken girl with green hair, to the one dry heaving a few feet away, the boy silently assessed de situation.

_They aren't paying attention_, he concluded. _That girl... she rescued her!_

But surely, he would have done the same, wouldn't he? If this hadn't been just an exam he would have definitely...

_Wait_, the boy's eyes widened in realization.

"Well done, kids, now move it!" Came a shrill voice from within the crowd. The voice in question belonged to a tiny old woman in a hero costume, who was making her way towards the green haired girl with a short stride. "Here, take some sweets!"

It was in that moment that Izumi seemed to regain her consciousness, the fingers on her left hand twitching.

Blinking her eyes open, Izumi was met with the very last person she wanted to see in that moment.

"Recovery girl!" She said with a nervous smile, trying to sit up, only to be smacked lightly in the head by Recovery girl's cane. _Ow_.

"Lay down, girl!" She chastised her firmly. "I swear it, if you keep breaking your bones, I'll be forced to stop treating you."

Many of the examinees paled at this.

_If she keeps breaking her bones? Just who is this person?!_

The nice girl, who had received a water bottle and a stamina sweet from Recovery girl, stared at the exchange with intrigue. She wondered how they knew each other...

"I-It wasn't so bad this time, really!" Izumi hurried to explain at Recovery Girl's skeptical gaze. "I only broke my right arm! See?"

Recovery Girl sighed, bending to kiss the green haired girl on the top of her messy hair, now free after having lost her hair tie.

The boy with glasses continued to think as the horrible bruising disappeared from the girl's exposed arm, her body glowing and progressively healing until she begun to fall asleep.

_This girl,_ he shook his head. _She figured it all out._

It took an entire week for the exam results to arrive.

During that time, in contrast with the rest of the examinees, Izumi remained in a state of depression, rather than nervousness.

She still couldn't get over the fact that she wouldn't be able to pass!

Izumi was more than frustrated, specially since she knew how well she had done it in the written part. But the practical part...

There was just no way they'd let her in with only 33 points.

Izumi knew this the moment she woke up after being healed, and she also knew it as she held the letter her stuttering mother had brought her.

The green haired girl didn't understand why she was hesitating so much. After all, she already knew what her results would be.

All Might must have known too, since he hadn't contacted her ever since that last day of training.

_He must be so disappointed,_ Izumi thought, her heart clenching painfully at the thought.

Steeling her nerves, Izumi finally opened it, only to fall backwards with her chair as a recoil from the shock.

"I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION!"

_I know that voice,_ Izumi blinked, her emerald eyes widening.

"Ehhh...? All Might?!" She said out loud, scrambling to stand up. "What are you doing here, this is from U.A...?!"

"Young Midoriya" he interrupted her with a booming voice. "I'm sorry I couldn't contact you earlier, I was busy doing some paperwork. An actually, I came to this town to work at U.A.!"

"A-All Might... working at U.A.?!"

"Yes, my girl!" he smiled. Just then, someone from behind the camera seemed to urge him to wrap it up. "Oh, right, right..."

Izumi tilted her head with interest.

"Young Midoriya, you obtained one of the highest punctuations in the written part, congratulations!" He paused. "However, you still obtained 33 points in the practical part, which unfortunately means you didn't pass—"

At that, Izumi lowered her head, letting the curly hair cover her tear filled eyes. _I knew it, it wasn't enough_— She fisted the fabric over her knees. —_it's so frustrating!_

"—But wait, that's not all!" All Might suddenly exclaimed. "Please, watch this video, after all, I am an entertainer as well!"

Izumi lifted her head to look at the small screen over All Might, rubbing her eyes with her palms when she realized who was in that screen.

"Excuse me, sir" came a familiar gentle voice. "There was this girl in the Entrance Exam... the tiny one with the curly green hair and freckles. It's just that, well, she saved me." The nice girl twirled her thumbs nervously. "I just wondered if you could give her some of my points, since she said she didn't have enough..."

Present Mic let out a booming laugh. "I hear ya, little listener" he said as he ruffled her short brown hair. "But don't worry, I'm sure your friend will do just fine!"

The screen disappeared, the image focusing on All Might once more, who was currently grinning at her dumbstruck face.

"Not only did your actions save this girl! In addition, they also moved her to do something heroic!" He explained at the increasingly excited girl. "It is because of this that you were awarded with 60 rescue points!"

Izumi gaped at All Might, her eyes dry, a ecstatic feeling rising from the bottom of her chest.

"Izumi Midoriya, you obtained a total of 93 points!" He said proudly. "Placing you on first place in the Entrance Exam!"

Her eyes watered as she took in his words. "D-Does that mean, t-that I...?"

"Yes!" All Might answered her incomplete question. "U.A. High is now your Hero Academia!"

Even from the kitchen, poor and worried Inko Midoriya was capable of hearing what she didn't know was Izumi crying from happiness.


	5. Not holding back

"All Might!" Izumi yelled, animatedly sprinting towards the skinny man sitting on the sand.

Her unruly hair was ruffled by the gentle breeze of the sea, watching as he turned around to face her, his gaunt features brightening considerably.

"Did she say All Might?!" Someone yelled from afar.

"Wait, _he's_ here?"

Said man's face became suddenly alarmed, hearing the surprised shouts from the couple at the other side of the beach.

Stiffening, he gave the green haired girl a reproachful look.

Catching quickly on the situation, Izumi paused in front of him. "Uh... SORRY! WRONG PERSON!" She shouted loudly enough for the couple to hear, arms flailing almost comically.

Hearing the disappointed, even annoyed, responses from the couple, All Might allowed himself to release a relieved sigh, his thin frame relaxing once more.

"Izumi, I already told you, call me by my real name!" He scolded her softly.

Plopping down on the sand next to him, Izumi scratched the back of her head, giving him a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, T-Toshinori" she replied quietly.

It had been more than a month since they'd started calling each other on a first name basis, and even then, Izumi _still_ found it difficult to refer to the number one hero as such.

Every time she said his real name, she couldn't help but feel she was somehow being disrespectful or doing something incredibly wrong.

And yet, it wasn't as if she could keep on calling him 'All Might', as if they were just mere strangers.

Not after she'd spent most of her free hours, for the past ten months, training by his side. Training to become his successor and inherit his power. Because he had deemed _her_, a weak quirkless girl, worthy of becoming a hero.

Somehow, the mentor-student bond they shared, along with One For All, the quirk they now both possessed, had brought them closer. To the point to which one day All Might slipped up and called her 'Izumi' for the first time, turning him into the second person (aside from her mother) that referred to her in such a familiar way.

That had been terribly embarrassing for both of them, not that _she_ was complaining about the outcome.

"Well, young Midoriya, how does it feel?" Toshinori said, interrupting her thoughts.

Izumi shook her head slightly, unaware that she had been mumbling. "Huh?"

Toshinori grinned at her antics. "I meant getting the highest score in the exam!"

The green haired girl forced a smile at that, focusing her emerald eyes on the sunset and the warm orange rays it produced.

"I-I still can't believe that I even passed" she admitted after a moment of silence. "I thought I had failed for sure..."

She trailed off.

Her mind went back to a certain explosive blonde, one who had been boasting in class about having gotten a 76 in the exam. To him, it seemed impossible that anyone could have gotten a higher mark.

Thinking about her score of 93, a combination of both villain and rescue points, the girl paled. _If only he knew..._

Sensing her change in mood, Toshinori put a hand on her shoulder worriedly, his toothy (creepy) smile turning into a frown. "Is there something wrong?"

The green haired girl shook her head profusely, refusing to share her troubles.

Toshinori sighed, giving her a knowing look with the cerulean eyes she refused to meet. "Does it have something to do with that childhood friend you told me about?"

The way she lightly frowned was answer enough for her mentor.

He already had his suspicions about how she was treated. After all, for the ones who cared enough to look closely at her strange behaviors, it was painfully obvious how much she had been bullied for being quirkless.

However, Izumi had never talked about it, not even with her mother, and she wasn't about to start doing so with Toshinori.

That's why she felt extremely thankful when the man next to her changed the subject without further pressing on that matter.

Toshinori gently ruffled her messy hair, turning to look at the sunset. "U.A. is a place for new beginnings, Izumi" he said kindly. "There, you will keep growing and making your own path, becoming the kind of hero you want to be... and even make new friends along the way! I'm sure you'll love it!"

Izumi turned to look at him, her green eyes sparkling with contained emotion. _He's right, it will be a new beginning... that's exactly what I want!_

"Keep training and getting stronger, young Midoriya!" he continued with a louder voice, standing up suddenly. "That way, your body will soon get used to One For All! And when you've learned to assimilate and regulate your strength—"

Transforming into his muscular form, Toshinori picked up a can between his two fingers and crushed it with no effort a all.

Meanwhile, Izumi stared in awe at his display of power.

"—you'll be able to do anything" he finished with a perfect smile. "Right now you can only regulate your power to zero, five and one hundred percent. But it's only a matter of time and effort, remember that!"

Izumi nodded, fighting off the urge to act like the fangirl she was. _So cool._

All Might laughed loudly at her reaction, unknowingly attracting the attention of the only two other people in the beach.

"Look! It really _is_ him!" A woman shouted.

"Where did he come from!?" The other one asked.

Izumi and All Might shared a troubled look, the girl wearing a slightly smug expression since it was the man who blew up his cover this time.

"Run, Izumi!" Yelled the panicked man.

And run they did.

"Do you have your tissues?" A green haired, short woman asked her daughter, identical green eyes frantic.

Izumi hummed in response, reaching to tie her other red shoe and internally smiling at her fretting mother.

"And your handkerchief? Do you have your handkerchief?" She inquired insistently at the cheerful girl. "Your hanky?!"

"Yep, I have it!" Izumi stood up to grin at her short mother, grabbing her yellow backpack before heading to the door. "I'm going to be late!"

Her hand reached for the door, but just as it closed on the doorknob, Inko called out. "Izumi!"

The girl turned around to blink confusedly at her mother. "What is it?"

Pausing, Inko took a moment to stare proudly a her daughter, feeling her emerald eyes fill with tears.

She was taller than her now, skinnier too, and certainly more beautiful than she had ever been at her age. Her bangs, curly and green, framed her freckled face, drawing even more attention to her large emerald eyes, the same eyes she had inherited from herself.

That morning, Izumi had tied up her hair in a high ponytail, claiming that she didn't want to look messy on her first day of school. But, looking at the small girl in front of her, Inko knew that was impossible. The uniform fit her like a glove, giving her usually tomboyish daughter a formal and feminine appearance.

"You're so pretty, Izumi!" Finally, the tears in Inko's eyes fell, blatantly refusing to be contained. "I wish your father were here to see you!"

Izumi blushed at the compliment, her eyes glassy from hearing her mother's impossible wish. _He could have been here if he wanted, mom_. She thought sadly to herself.

Not letting her mother see how much that comment had hurt her, Izumi gave the plump woman a watery smile and a tight hug.

Leaving the apartment, Izumi wiped her tears with resolution, dry eyes filling with determination.

To be honest, Izumi couldn't begin to count how many times she'd cried since she promised herself she wouldn't.

But it didn't really matter.

That day was her 'new beginning', like All Might had put it, just as there was no reason to try to reign in her emotions, there was no real reason to cry.

Having arrived at her destination, a green haired girl could be found striding through the large hallways of U.A. High, each firm step echoing at the emptiness of the place.

"Class 1-A... Class 1-A..." Izumi mumbled incessantly under her breath, growing increasingly nervous with each repetition of her mantra. _This place is too big_, she thought, gripping her backpack straps tightly.

Suddenly, the girl paused as she looked up at the sign she had been searching for. _1-A..._

_It's huge,_ were her first thoughts, tilting her head at the sheer magnitude of the door. _Is that for mutation-type quirks...?_

Izumi shook her head, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. She didn't want to look like a murmuring freak on her first day!

Building up the courage and confidence, Izumi reached to open the door, her mind sliding to images of both Kaachan and the boy with the glasses._ I just hope none of the scary people are in my same class..._

"Please, don't put your feet on the desk!"

Recognizing the stern voice that had scolded her at the Entrance Exam, Izumi sighed. Sometimes, her own luck surprised her.

"What'd you say, extra?" Sneered a familiar voice.

The boy with the glasses ignored the insult, his arms making exaggerated chopping motions as he spoke. "Please, I'll ask you to sit properly! You're disrespecting both the people who fabricated this desk and the upperclassmen who used it!"

The blonde boy clicked his tongue with annoyance, his hands coming to rest comfortably behind his head. "Who the hell are you, again?" He asked rudely.

"My name is Iida Tenya, I previously attended Somei Private Academy" the boy replied, his eyebrows twitching slightly at the blonde's foul language.

Said boy smirked, making Izumi further hide behind the door as she watched the scene.

"So you're an elite, huh?" He said, crimson eyes glinting. "I think I'll have fun destroying you."

The upright boy's mouth opened with shock at that, failing to form a response. Behind the door, Izumi grit her teeth in tension and nervousness. _Kaachan's in my class too._

"Destroy me?! That's cruel!" The tall boy finally replied, completely bewildered. "Do you truly aim to become a hero?!"

The blond boy grunted without looking at him, leaning back into his seat with a self satisfied smirk. _Fucking extra._

However, just as he did so, his red eyes caught sight of a familiar mass of fluffy green hair and fearful expression. "Huh?"

_Oh,_ Izumi jolted. _He saw me._

The tall boy, having too spotted Izumi, turned around abruptly and started walking towards the increasingly panicking girl. "Good morning!"

This, in turn, drew the attention of the rest of the class, who turned on their to look at the commotion. Leaving the shy green haired girl to deal with the unwanted attention and stares.

"Hello, I'm Iida Tenya from—"

Izumi raised her arms hastily in an attempt to stop the boy. "I-I know, I h-heard you before"

The robotic boy froze on his step, his eyes wide open and calculating, almost as if he expected her to say something more...

_Oh, right._

"Ah... I-I'm Midoriya" she supplied, blushing with embarrassment at her pitiful stammering.

"Nice to meet you, Midoriya!" Iida nodded, his expression serious, if not a little bit less awkward. "You realized there was something more to the practical exam, right?"

Izumi blinked with uncertainty. _What..?_

"I misjudged you, please forgive me!" Iida proceeded to bow rigidly, his face set in the same solemn expression as before. "I hate to admit it... but you are better than me!"

The girl sweatdropped at his strange behavior, shaking her head with disbelief. _He's not teasing me, is he?_ She thought.

"N-No, that's not..." she hurried to explain.

But before she could say anything else, someone else decided to speak over her soft voice. "Oh, that curly hair..! You're that girl from the Entrance Exam!"

_It's the nice girl!_

Izumi turned around happily to face the brunette, slightly relieved that she wouldn't have to speak with the intense boy.

The cheerful girl smiled a genuine smile. "You passed, just like Present Mic said you would!" She said enthusiastically, jumping up and down. "But of course, your punch was amazing! Plus, you practically saved my life."

Izumi flushed at the taller girl's praise, face turning red at the strange experience that was talking to a girl her age who didn't hate her. "I-It was thanks t-to you..." she mumbled. "...for talking to him personally so..."

The girl jumped closer to her, staring at the smaller girl as if she were the most interesting thing on the planet. "How did you know that?" She inquired curiously.

Izumi took a step back, flailing to explain. "H-Huh... w-well I..."

Meanwhile, from his seat at the front of the class, Bakugo stared with crimson eyes at the agitated green haired girl, his anger increasing when she failed to notice his piercing glare, instead focused on making a fool of herself with her new 'friends'.

Unconsciously, his mind wandered to the incident back at middle school, the day just before he had received his exam results and being told his score was the second highest.

_"I can't believe we have two students matriculating into U.A.s hero course"_ The eccentric teacher had exclaimed. _"Specially you, Midoriya! Well done!"_

Bakugo had watched as she fidgeted and blushed cutely, trying to suppress the arrogant smile he knew she was aching to form on her face.

It pissed him to no end.

He had cornered her behind the school after class, slamming her against a wall and feeling some kind of twisted satisfaction arise when she gasped painfully. _"How did you get in, huh?!"_ He had yelled at the girl's face, shaking her roughly as she flinched. _"My dreams... being the first student from this fucking school to enter U.A... All ruined because of you!"_ Her eyes had filled with both tears and fear, like they always did.

But what followed, was anything but normal.

Her hand had wrapped tightly around his right wrist, the one keeping her from running away, red veins spreading across her pale skin as her grip became hard enough to bruise._ "K-Kachaan... someone told me... that I can become a hero"_ she paused to push him away from her, the closeness of their bodies no doubt uncomfortable for the fucker. His grip on her clothes slackened from shock, emerald eyes sparkling with something he had never seen before within them. _"That's why... I'm going to U.A. And there's nothing you can do about it!"_

That said, she had then left at a fast pace, leaving him with a sprained wrist and wide eyes, having just witnessed what definitely looked like a quirk. A strong one.

She hadn't cried like she used to, either.

_The little bitch, that Deku..!_ Bakugo thought, eyes narrowing in the present, focusing entirely on the small girl. _How dare she defy me? How dare she lie to me? I refuse to believe it!_

Back to were Izumi and Uraraka talked —the later being the only one actually talking— a lazy low voice coming from the door cut through the class' relaxed atmosphere of chattering teenagers.

"If you're here to make friends, you can leave through the door right now"

Both Uraraka and Izumi jumped, looking down to see a...

"Caterpillar?" Uraraka quietly asked to herself, being Izumi the only one who heard it.

Just then, the yellow 'caterpillar' rolled towards them, opening slightly to reveal a black haired, tired looking man with bloodshot eyes. "It took you eight seconds to shut up" he said bluntly. "You kids aren't rational enough"

_Whaa~?_

"I'm your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta" the tall, lanky man said.

_Homeroom teacher? Does that mean he's a pro hero? But he looks so worn out!_

"This is going to sound sudden" he continued, ignoring the stunned silence his arrival had caused. From the sleeping bag he pulled out one of U.A.s sports uniform. "But put this on and go to the field."

The class eyed the pro hero with equal amounts of annoyance and disbelief, loud complaints being yelled across the training field.

"A Quirk Assessment test?!" The entire 1-A class echoed.

The pro hero nodded dryly, pulling out a tablet from somewhere beneath his bandages as he raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you've been doing this since junior high, haven't you?"

Next to Izumi, the peppy brunette dared to protest, hand raising. "But what about the Entrance ceremony?"

"You're here to become heroes, there isn't time for such pointless activities" he snapped back, his gaze scanning the class of teenagers, as if daring them to interrupt him again. "Now, as I was saying... You've probably already performed physical fitness tests such as this one before, but in none of them were you allowed to use your quirks, correct?" their homeroom teacher paused to shake his head with irritation. "Measuring your averages without taking into consideration your individual limits isn't rational, not that our country doesn't realize this. Right now, you could say Japan's Ministry of Education is procrastinating."

His dark eyes skimmed through the crowd lightly, pausing only when they fell on Izumi and making the girl jolt from the glare sent her way. _What is it that everybody hates me?_ She wondered dejectedly.

However, he soon averted his piercing gaze and turned to focus on the blonde boy at the other end of the crowd.

Inwardly, Izumi sighed with relief. _He didn't say anything to me._

"Bakugo" he called out in a monotone voice. "You placed second in the practical exam, right?"

The blonde boy grunted in response, his usual scowl deepening at the reminder of being number two. "Yeah, what about it?"

The homeroom teacher gave no notice that he was in any ways annoyed by the rude reply. "What was your best result at the soft ball throw?"

"64 meters" he answered gruffly.

Aizawa nodded in acknowledgment, throwing the ball at Bakugo, who caught it with fast reflexes. "Now try again, but with your quirk"

Bakugo smirked at the challenge, advancing smugly towards the white circle drawn on the field, determined to get a higher result than the fucker that had somehow surpassed him in the exam, whoever that may be.

Coating the ball with the nitroglycerin-like substance that was his sweat, Bakugo pulled his arm back, grinning as he prepared to set off one of his explosions.

"DIE!" The blonde bellowed, the heat of the explosion making some of the people there take a step back.

Within the crowd, a very awed and confused Izumi mumbled to herself. "Die?"

"750 meters" the pro hero nonchalantly announced.

The class roared at the number displayed in the teacher's device, all —but a green haired girl— amazed by the blonde's quirk.

"Seriously? That far?" exclaimed a blonde boy with a lightening bolt-shaped lock of black hair.

"As expected of U.A.s Hero Course" another boy with a tape-related quirk said.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Added a cheerful girl with surprisingly pink skin and hair.

At that last comment, the teacher's expression darkened, his impassive expression morphing into a cruel smirk that send chills down the students' spines. "_Fun? _You think this is _'_fun'?" He asked with a scoff. "Very well, then. Since this is 'so much fun', the one that obtains the lowest mark will be expelled from U.A."

_"Huh?"_

Sounds of outrage erupted after the man's unjust proclamation, Uraraka being the only one who dared voice everyone's thoughts. "But sir, you can't!" She childishly exclaimed. "Even if it weren't the first day of school, that's just too unfair!"

The pro's eyes narrowed. "Big accidents, selfish villains, natural disasters... Those are just a few examples of the very _unfair_ and _random_ circumstances you'll have to face on a daily basis if you manage to become heroes" he calmly said, an eerie smile drawn on his pale face. "Our country is filled with unfairness. It is a hero's job to adapt to any situation and learn how to combat this catastrophes."

Izumi gulped. _He's serious._

"Additionally, I can expel whoever I deem unfit to meet my expectations. Freedom _is_ one of U.A.s main selling points, after all" the dark teacher said, throwing scrutinizing gazes at each student before mockingly adding. "Welcome to U.A.s Hero Course!"

His dark eyes met Izumi's green ones as he said so, making the poor girl pale. _Oh, crap._

The first test was the 50-meter dash, and, much to Izumi's surprise —note the sarcasm— out of all the people there, she had been paired up with Kaachan.

_Okay_, she thought, clenching and unclenching her fists in an attempt to calm herself down. _I can totally do this, I just have to concentrate and keep it at 5%._

Crouching next to the glaring Kaachan, Izumi closed her eyes as she pictured a microwave with an egg inside, waiting for the signal. "Don't let the egg explode..." she muttered to herself.

_But most importantly... Don't overdo it._

_Bang!_

The moment they were allowed to move, Kaachan advanced like a rocket, using his explosions as a way of propulsion towards the finish line, loud cracking noises filling the training field. "Explosive speed!" He yelled to match his explosions.

Izumi, having closed her eyes and mouth to prevent from inhaling the smoke, rushed blindly as straightly as she could. Her leg muscles burned with One For All, making her sprint at what she thought was just an above average speed.

When Izumi opened her eyes and dropped panting to her knees, it was to find a bewildered and out of breath blonde staring angrily at her.

_What the hell...?!_ He thought.

The measuring robot they both had flown past had only read one time. 4,17 seconds.

_It's a tie,_ she thought distractedly, deliberately turning away from Kaachan's glare, rubbing at her pained leg muscles.

"Wow, that was so cool!" Uraraka gave her a thumbs up.

As it turned out, the Quirk Apprehension test didn't prove to be as much of a challenge as Izumi thought it would be. One For All was a versatile quirk, proving to be useful in almost every one of the tasks they were told to perform. And while she wasn't at the top, since there were quirks that seemed specifically made for a certain test —such as Iida, whose quirk revolved around speed— she wasn't at the bottom either.

Throughout the exam, Izumi told herself that that was enough, even as it felt like she was making no effort. But she could only safely use a 5%, after all! And even so, both her legs and hands had ended up covered in painful bruises from the previous tests. It just wasn't worth the risk!

That's why, when her turn came by the softball throw, Izumi didn't plan to use more than a 5%.

For a moment, the girl just stared with furrowed brows at the ball, clenching her bruised hand around it and suppressing a painful wince.

"It still hurts from the grip strength test" she mumbled to herself, thinking back to how she had ended up in second place, right behind a guy with multiple limbs.

Izumi took in a sharp intake of breath, charging up her pulsing arm with One For All as she readied herself for the throw.

_Keep calm, picture the microwave. Don't go over 5%. I'm safe... I won't be expelled._

"She seems focused" commented Iida, talking to Uraraka some feet away from were Izumi murmured to herself.

"Yep" she replied happily with a smile.

"But I don't get it" the boy with glasses added with a frown. "Her quirk seemed so powerful back at the Entrance Exam, is she holding back? I wonder..."

Next to Iida, Bakugo eavesdropped on the conversation with barely restrained rage. _Holding back?_

However, he wasn't the only one angry.

Just then, Izumi gritted her teeth, releasing a grunt as she begun throwing the ball— _It's fine, I got this. Just 5%. Don't let the egg explode!_ —only for the power to suddenly disappear and the ball to fall a few meters away from her.

45 meters, the device read.

"W-What?!" She panicked, her arms falling limply at her sides. "B-But my quirk... I-I..."

"I erased it" a grave voice simply said.

Izumi raised her head to look up at red, glowing eyes and gravity-defying black hair. Aizawa crossed his arms, his bandage-like scarf raising menacingly as he fixed a sharp glare at the short girl in front of him.

The class gazed at the scene in shock, some of them feeling sorry at how the timid curly haired girl was facing alone the terrifying man.

Meanwhile, Izumi's green eyes widened in recognition as her mind raced. _That hair and that strange quirk... I know him! This man, he's..._

"You're the Erasure Hero: Eraser Head!" The girl suddenly exclaimed.

"Who?" The pink girl asked.

"I know him! He's an Underground Hero!" Said proudly a red haired boy.

The man rolled his eyes at their over enthusiasm, annoyed at being interrupted. "Most importantly" the lanky man started, looking directly at a rapidly paling Izumi. "Are you even taking this seriously?"

The girl jumped at the accusation. "O-Of course! W-Why wouldn't I—?"

Her dark teacher scoffed, cutting off her pathetic stammering and making some of her classmates wince in sympathy. "I asked you because out of all the people here, you're the only one who has yet to show your real limit." He said, scowling, arms crossed over his chest. "You're holding back, that much is obvious."

_How did he...?_

The class erupted into murmurs, the girl choosing to look at the ground with an embarrassed look. "I-It's not like I have a choice" she quietly said, hoping no one heard.

But, of course, bandages suddenly wrapped around her arms and legs, pulling her closer towards her teacher, who inspected the bruising on Izumi's skin before talking to her in a harsh tone. "That's right, you have no choice" he said in a low voice. "So far, you've only used a small fraction of your potential, and even that was enough to leave you this damaged" he continued, referring to her injuries. "I saw how much worse you ended up at the Entrance Exam, so I'll make this clear: with a quirk like yours, you _can't_ become a hero."

Izumi stiffened, the man's words triggering painful memories from her past.

_"It's best if you just give up"_

_"I'm sorry, Izumi! I'm so sorry"_

_"...no, you cannot become a hero"_

Aizawa pressed the ball back into her aching hand, holding it there for a moment to add. "It's nothing personal, kid" he said, his face expressionless. "You're just no use as a hero. If you can't keep standing and pushing yourself past your limit, then, what would be the point?"

The bandages unwrapped from her limbs, leaving her shaking as she stood inside the white circle.

"What do you think he told her?" Asked Uraraka worriedly as she looked at the small trembling girl.

Iida shrugged, trying to sound confident. "Perhaps he gave her some advice."

_I fucking doubt that_, Bakugo thought to himself, staring intensely at the greenette.

Izumi squeezed her eyes shut, forcefully swallowing the familiar lump in her throat as she positioned herself. She was used to this by now, and it always hurt. And yet...

_This is nothing—_

The warmth of One For All spread form her chest to her arm, growing, focusing on her index fingertip as her concentration increased.

_—I'll prove him wrong!_

All at once, the ball shot through the sky charged with One For All's 100% of strength, the wind pressure from the throw causing everyone's hair to ruffle violently, Izumi being the most affected.

After a good couple of seconds, the ball dropped into the ground with a soft thud, finally breaking the silence of the dazed class.

At this, Aizawa snorted, turning around the device to show:

"767 meters" murmured someone with incredibility.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Cheered Uraraka as she bounced with excitement. "A hero-like score!"

"Her finger appears to be broken" commented Iida idly. "What a strange quirk..."

Still inside of the white circle, Izumi's arms shook after having supported the blast of power. Her index finger was purple and swollen, definitely broken after having channeled a full 'smash' of One For All.

Hissing at the pain erupting from her finger, Izumi clenched her fist, biting her lip as she turned to look at a very satisfied-looking pro hero.

"Sensei..." she managed to spit out, her green eyes brimming with tears. "I didn't hold back... And I'm still standing!"

Aizawa felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth, genuinely impressed. _This kid..._

"Very well" he finally nodded. "I'd expect nothing less, from the one who got the top grade at the Entrance Exam."

Once those words were out of his mouth, Izumi froze. _Oh no._

The explosions came as soon as Bakugo's brain had the time to process what had just been said by his new teacher. They crackled in his twitching palms, feeding from his inflamable sweat, drawing the attention of those around him.

_No way... there's no fucking way that she surpassed me!_ Bakugo thought desperately, his pupils shrinking as the truth he had been trying to deny finally sunk in. _That little bitch... she lied to me! SHE'S HAD A STRONG QUIRK ALL THIS FUCKING TIME!_

Clenching his fists, Bakugo remembered a past time.

He remembered how ridiculously _weak_ she had always been. Just a pebble on the side of the road, someone who didn't deserve his attention _or_ opposed any kind of threat.

His opposite in every single way possible.

It had been like that ever since his quirk first manifested, back when they were still just in kindergarten.

"Tch" he scoffed, scowl deepening.

In his memories, a bubbly girl with curly green hair tied into two pigtails smiled brightly at him, her shining green eyes igniting a fire in his chest.

_"Kaachan!"_

A pathetic, stupid Deku, that's all she ever was! Even before she had been diagnosed as quirkless, that Deku had never understood anything, never paid any attention... Always underestimating him!

_Even then, she always refused to acknowledge me. It was all a big lie._ Bakugo thought, rage building up as his mind raced.

_"Your quirk is so cool, Kaachan! I hope I get mine soon, too!"_

_"Whatever quirk you get won't matter, I'll always be stronger! Then I can be your hero!"_

Even when they were kids, Deku didn't fucking get it, she had never fucking tried to...!

And yet, she had always been the one to _praise_ him —though he now questioned the veracity of her admiration— Thus, to Bakugo's eyes, back then everything was just as it should be!

_He_ was supposed to be the strong one! _He_ was supposed to be the one being followed! Why couldn't she be content with just watching from the sidelines?

_Does that mean she never really meant anything she said?_ He wondered angrily. _Was that a lie too?_

_"But I want to be a hero too, Kaachan!"_

_"A Deku like you? Don't make me laugh!"_

This was _NOT_ how it was meant to be... _He_ should have been the hero of the story!

NOT THAT FUCKING _DEKU!_

"What the... what the hell is this!" He yelled, an explosion detonating in his hand as he recklessly charged towards the green haired girl. "How the fuck is it that you have a quirk!"

In the background, his classmates let out startled gasps, followed by coughs caused by his smoke.

"_Hey!_"

At the sound of his voice, the short girl turned to look at him, her eyes wide and shocked, staring at him as if she couldn't move.

_She's paralyzed in fear,_ he realized, his gut churning with an unpleasant feeling he was all too familiar with.

However, just as many times before, that didn't stop him.

_If she won't acknowledge me, she can fear me then!_

"Tell me what's going on, Deku!" Bakugo howled, his sharp red eyes narrowing on those glazed emerald orbs. "You bastard!"

At his fast approach, the only thing the idiot did was bring her arms up in defense, merely waiting for the inevitable impact to come. _That Deku..._

But just as her eyes squeezed shut and he was a few inches from reaching her, bandages wrapped around his arms and pulled him back, leaving him suspended in the air.

_What?_

Strangely, as he fought against the bandages, Bakugo couldn't help but feel relieved. "What the...? This things are hard!"

Aizawa sighed, eyes glowing red and bloodshot. "They're special capture weapons made of carbon fiber" he explained with annoyance, watching as the blonde thrashed "Jeez... don't make me use my quirk over and over. I have dry eye... dammit!"

Sweatdropping, the entire class seemed to loose some of the tension Bakugo's attack had caused, Izumi included.

Her heart was still pounding loudly in her ears. However, to be honest, what surprised her the most wasn't Kaachan's random attack, but the way her new teacher had defended her against him.

_Still_, Izumi thought as a very pissed Bakugo was released. _I'd better stay away from him._

And that's just what she did.

Finally, about twenty minutes fighting through the pain of a broken finger later, the tests were finished and the results were finally announced.

Skimming through the names —and confident that she wouldn't obtain the worst score— Izumi found hers in the fourth place.

_Kaachan is second again,_ she thought, feeling rather than hearing how the blonde grit his teeth just a few meters away from her.

"I'm in the eleventh place!" Uraraka said loudly as she pumped her fist.

Out of curiosity, Izumi looked at the last name on the board. Mineta Minoru.

She was just about to ask Uraraka if she knew who that person was —since she had been so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't gotten any names— but that ended up being unnecessary when she spotted a short (even shorter than her), purple haired boy wailing on his knees.

"I-It's not fair!" He sniffled.

Aizawa Shouta shrugged, impassive at the boy's pathetic display.

For some reason, the rest of Izumi's female classmates didn't look very affected either. As a fellow crybaby and wanna be hero, Izumi felt bad for him.

"By the way" the teacher added nonchalantly. "No one is getting expelled. It was just a logical ruse to bring out the limits of your quirks."

It took a moment for the class to assimilate that.

"_What?!"_


End file.
